


to embrace my fate

by Fives (janfives90)



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, Medieval AU, plot inspired by hercules, warnings: references to torture and violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-07 07:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21454456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/janfives90/pseuds/Fives
Summary: “Please. He does not deserve this.”“I can save his life. I warn you, though, child. It will come at a price. Are you willing to pay it?”“Yes. Yes. I will. Please. Please, do not let him die. It is not his time.”“Very well. You have made your choice.”
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan, Kaylee/Shelby (The Prom Musical)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 49





	1. Part One

_ “Please. He does not deserve this.” _

_ “I can save his life. I warn you, though, child. It will come at a price. Are you willing to pay it?” _

_ “Yes. Yes. I will. Please. Please, do not let him die. It is not his time.” _

_ “Very well. You have made your choice.” _

* * *

She stands near a lake, watching the tide gently lap at the shore.

They’re coming.

They’re coming for her.

The pressure squeezing tighter and tighter around her soul makes it inevitable.

Kaylee turns as the mist around her thickens, in time to watch a blonde woman about her age step out of thin air to her right, dressed in brown leather armor, an imprint of a tree pressed into the chest plate. Her gloved hand is resting comfortably on a silvery shortsword on her waist, and she stands, still and silent, just watching her and waiting.

To her left, another figure steps out of the mist. This one is also of a similar age, but, like Kaylee, isn’t wearing armor or carrying any more of a weapon than a small dagger. Her tunic and pants are the same brown and green color combination as the blonde’s armor and cape, but the tree imprint is instead on a silver medallion around her neck.

They stand there, in silence, watching Kaylee and surrounding her against the lake.

“You were sent here,” Kaylee says, finally breaking the quiet.

“We were,” the brunette agrees.

“Sent for me?”

The blonde nods, but she still doesn’t speak.

Kaylee takes in a deep breath. “Will it hurt?”

“You work for the witch now,” the brunette says, ignoring her question as she slowly walks a line across the ground until she’s near the blonde. “You will do so until she allows you to die.”

“Allow-”

“Do not fight it. There is no fighting. You cannot escape now that she has you.” The brunette takes a small step closer. “This is now what you are.”

Kaylee gives a weak laugh. “All this for love.”

The brunette’s eyes soften and she turns, brushing a finger along the blonde’s jaw, drawing her gaze down to meet the brunette’s. “It is more common than you may believe,” the brunette whispers. She takes a few steps back, her hand falling from the blonde’s face, and she disappears back into the mist.

As soon as she’s gone, the blonde turns to Kaylee, a gentle sadness in her eyes. “Do you know of the knight’s tournaments?”

Kaylee blinks, startled to hear the woman suddenly speak. “Yes.”

“There is a champion there, a knight who has never been defeated in the sword ring. Your first task for the witch is to go to the next tournament, in Edgewater.”

“Okay-”

“You will kill this knight.”

Kaylee freezes. “What?”

“You will kill this knight.”

“No, I heard you, but… I… I have never killed someone before. I do not know if I am even capable of it.”

The blonde gives her a small smile. “I am sorry, Kaylee Klein. You do not have any other option. The witch will have this knight dead, no matter what. If you do not do it yourself, you will only suffer for slowing down the inevitable.”

Kaylee swallows and takes in a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. Could I at least have the name of this knight? I do not want to kill the wrong one.”

“Her name is Shelby Gonzales.” The blonde looks up at the sky, where the moon is almost half-full. “You have until the full moon.”

“How-”

Without another word, the blonde turns and disappears into the mist.

* * *

The tournament at Edgewater is as lively as any Kaylee has ever been to.

She squeezes through the crowds, towards the ring where the sword duels are held, and she gets there in time to watch a young woman in a light platemail armor knock her opponent’s sword to the side with her own blade and push him out of the small circle they’re standing in.

Her opponent stumbles a bit and loses his balance, falling into the dirt, and the woman laughs as she sheaths her sword.

“Sorry, Kyle,” she says, reaching out a hand to help him to his feet.

“One day, Shelby, I am going to beat you, I swear it,” he says with a chuckle.

“It is not gonna be today, though,” she replies as she pats him on the shoulder. Her gaze shifts to the crowd, and Kaylee feels a shiver as it immediately lands on her.

Shelby walks forward, setting her shield down on a storage rack as she passes it, and leans against the log railing in front of Kaylee. “Well,” she says slowly. “You are a pretty face. I do not think I have seen you here before.”

Kaylee gives her a nervous smile. “I usually watch the jousting.”

“Why waste your time with fools throwing themselves off of perfectly good horses?” Shelby ducks under the railing, and she’s right in front of Kaylee.

And very,  _ very _ pretty.

“You could spend your time with me instead.”

Kaylee blushes and clears her throat. “I, uh…”

She almost says no, tries to play coy or cool.

Until a hard pain deep in her chest reminds her why she’s there.

“If you would like,” Kaylee says with a shrug, looking away. “I would hate to take up too much of your time, knight.”

“It would not be any trouble at all. Trust me on that.” Shelby holds out her hand. “Join me?”

* * *

They walk through the tournament, Kaylee’s arm tucked into Shelby’s.

“I apologize for not introducing myself sooner,” the knight says. She turns and bows, bringing Kaylee’s hand up to press a soft, quick kiss to her knuckles. “Shelby Gonzales. Knight of St. James.”

“St. James? That is not far from here.”

Shelby shakes her head. “I was born in Edgewater, but I grew up over there.” She comes out of the bow, a glint in her eyes. “Can I earn a name from you as well, m’lady?”

She opens her mouth to speak, and guilt makes her lie. “Amanda.”

“Amanda,” Shelby repeats. “Could I escort you anywhere? It is getting dark.”

“You do not have to be so pleasant towards me,” Kaylee says softly. “You do not even know me.”

Shelby beams at her. “A pretty lady who has little interest in me is at least worth a conversation and a walk to her door.”

“Why would that be?” Kaylee smirks. “Do you think the walk would make you more attractive? Are you so curious about what it feels like to wind up in the dirt on your back?”

“I presume you are alluding to a punch or a shove,” Shelby says slowly, raising an eyebrow. “If you are not, I must say, I prefer to bed women in actual beds.”

Kaylee blushes. “You are incorrigible.”

Shelby grins and leans in, not too close, but just enough to make Kaylee feel hot. “I would wear that title proudly.”

* * *

Shelby walks with her until they’re outside the tournament, near the woods.

“I can take you anywhere you would like to go,” she says. “You will be safe with me. I promise.”

Kaylee sets her hand on the handle of the dagger on her belt, looking at the unprotected spot of Shelby’s throat. “I know,” she murmurs. “But I think I should continue alone.”

She tightens her grip on the dagger’s handle, and the pressure in her chest tightens, too, but Shelby gives her a soft look and her grip slackens and drops back down to her side.

“Could I see you again sometime, then? I would hate to let a woman like you slip through my fingers if I have any chance to get to know you better.”

Kaylee swallows. “Yeah,” she murmurs. “I will return to the tournament tomorrow.”

Shelby grins at her. “Wonderful.” She bows again and kisses Kaylee’s hand, giving her another free opportunity to stab her, but one that Kaylee, again, doesn’t take. Shelby winks at her. “I shall see you tomorrow, then.”

She turns and walks away, back to the tournament, and the pain in Kaylee’s chest increases until she drops to her knees and blacks out.

* * *

When Kaylee wakes up, it’s morning again, and the blonde is standing over her, looking down at her with a curious expression on her face.

“We did warn you that you have no choice,” she says mildly.

Kaylee groans as she sits up, dragging herself backwards until she can leans against a nearby tree. “What the hell happened?”

“The same thing that will happen every time you waver from your task. You will be punished.”

Kaylee rubs at her chest and winces. “I just chose to wait for a better time. I did not waver.”

“Hm.” The blonde leans against the tree, setting her hands on her belt. “The witch holds your soul, Kaylee Klein. She cannot be fooled that easily.”

“If she wants me to do this job, she should trust me, then,” Kaylee growls. “Not enchant the poor woman to make her instantly drawn to me.”

“The witch cannot enchant Shelby Gonzales.”

Kaylee looks up at the blonde, startled. “What?”

The blonde clears her throat, rubbing at her leather chestplate, a look of discomfort on her face. “The witch cannot enchant Shelby Gonzales. If she was drawn to you, it was genuine.”

“Oh,” Kaylee whispers. She closes her eyes and bows her head. “If… But…”

“Do not lose focus, Kaylee Klein.” The blonde gives her a sympathetic look. “And do not fall in love.”

“I am never falling in love again,” Kaylee insists. “Not after what love has turned me into.”

The blonde nods. “It is for the-” She suddenly stops talking, and Kaylee notices that the mist around them has gotten thicker. After a moment, the brunette joins them.

“The witch has a… message,” the brunette says quietly.

The blonde studies her for a moment, then walks past her, standing at attention with her back to them, facing the tournament grounds with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“What is-” Kaylee yelps as the brunette takes the dagger off of her belt and hits her, slashing her hard across the temple. She scrambles away, her hand going up to her head and coming back bloody. “Jesus. What…”

“You are to go back to the tournament. Earn the trust of the knight. Make up a story for your injury if that is what it takes. Seduce her if that is what it takes. And then, no matter how you feel, you will kill her.” The brunette sheaths her dagger, and when Kaylee looks up at her, she can see a deep, fearful horror in her eyes.

“Why does the witch want Shelby dead so badly?” Kaylee asks in a whisper.

The brunette shakes her head slowly. “Do not ask those questions. It will only make this worse.” She steps back into the mist and vanishes.

The blonde watches her go, then takes a small cloth out of a pouch on her belt and hands it to Kaylee. “She did not want to do that. She did not have a choice. That is what you must learn.”

Kaylee studies her for a moment as she uses the cloth to put pressure on the cut above her eye. “You cannot speak when she is here.”

“...No,” the blonde says softly, a pain in her eyes that Kaylee would never be able to begin to describe. “I cannot.”

“Did… Did the witch do that to you? Why?”

The blonde shrugs and looks away. “I do not remember.”

Kaylee stares at her, the information spiraling in her mind, until it all settles into place. “You love her,” she murmurs. “That other servant, the brunette.”

“I believe I do,” the blonde replies, still staring off into the distance. “I am not certain.”

“How could you not be certain?”

“I cannot feel it anymore.” She looks down at her hands, and Kaylee sees a thin, smoky mist drifting off of them. “We have… We have been… I do not remember.” She shakes her head, frowning. “I do not remember what it was like to truly be alive, Kaylee Klein. I do not even remember my own name. I believe that I loved her. The small bits of light still left in my heart remind me on occasion. I simply cannot feel it.”

“Is it…” Kaylee swallows. “Is it easier? Is it easier to feel nothing when you follow the commands you are given?”

She asks, even though, from the look in the brunette’s eyes, she already knows the answer.

The blonde falls silent for a long moment. “No,” she whispers. “No, I do not believe that it is.” She gives Kaylee a serious look. “Do not fall in love, Kaylee Klein. It will doom you.”

As Kaylee watches the blonde disappear back into the mist, she wonders if it could be any worse than the fate she’s already bound to.


	2. Part Two

Kaylee stands at the edge of the trees, watching Shelby practice by herself in a training circle. She’s out of her armor, in a dark blue doublet instead, and the softness makes Kaylee’s heart ache.

She hates herself for it.

“Hi,” she says quietly, taking a few steps closer.

Shelby finishes a swing and then turns around, giving her a wide, bright grin. “Amanda. Hello. I am glad to see you decided to return.”

“I would not miss the chance to see you again,” Kaylee says, walking closer.

Shelby lowers into a small bow, picking up Kaylee’s hand and kissing the back of her knuckles. “I am glad you find me so irresistible,” she replies with a smirk.

Kaylee laughs as she pulls her hand back. “Perhaps I wanted to see if you are always so impertinent.”

“Yes,” Shelby deadpans. “I am, yes, with absolute certainty.” She straightens out of the bow and frowns with concern, stepping into Kaylee’s space. Her hand comes up and rests on Kaylee’s cheek, holding her in place while she studies the gash on her forehead. “What happened to you?”

“It is nothing serious,” Kaylee murmurs, hopelessly aware of how close Shelby is to her. “It’s just a cut.”

“It looks far worse than that,” Shelby whispers. “I got something similar once when I missed a block and got slashed by a sword.”

Kaylee chuckles softly. “You healed really well if that is the case.”

There’s a nervous glint in Shelby’s eyes. “Yes. That has always been a habit of mine.” She steps back, her hands falling from Kaylee’s face. “How good are you with that dagger?”

“O-Oh.” Kaylee sets her hand on her dagger. “Uh. Well. I can slice an apple, but I have not exactly used it for anything else.”

Shelby’s grin returns to her face, and she pulls Kaylee into the training circle. “Here. Draw it and try to stab me.”

Kaylee’s stomach sinks. “What?”

“Come on. I want to show you something. Try it.”

She can’t talk her way out of it, and she knows it.

With a fear that makes her tremble, Kaylee draws the dagger off of her belt, focuses, and tries to drive the blade into Shelby.

Shelby grabs her by the wrist and twists her arm, pinching her grip and forcing Kaylee’s hand to open, dropping the dagger into Shelby’s waiting other hand. Shelby steps forward and sets the blade against Kaylee’s throat.

“You need to get in close with a dagger,” she murmurs. “Too far away, and it is too easy for you to be disarmed.”

“O-Oh,” Kaylee stammers.

Shelby slides the dagger back into Kaylee’s belt. “Try it again,” she says softly, so close that their noses are almost touching.

“I am _ too _ close,” Kaylee says.

“I know. Try.”

Kaylee takes in a breath and, in a fluid movement, draws the dagger and drives it towards Shelby’s stomach. She stops just short when Shelby doesn’t move.

“I-I… I thought you were going to…”

“No,” Shelby says calmly. “I just wanted to see what you would do.”

“Why?”

Shelby cups Kaylee’s face in her hands. “I know what magic looks like. How did you lose your soul?”

Kaylee splutters and takes a few steps back, her heart dropping. “I-I… I do not know… what you…”

“I am a knight,” Shelby murmurs. “Not a fool. Black magic users have wanted my family line dead for a thousand years, Amanda. You would not be the first soulless slave sent for one of us.”

“If you know,” Kaylee whispers, “why did you… why did you spend your day with me yesterday? Why make yourself so vulnerable to the possibility of injury?”

“You seem genuine when you speak to me. You do not know how hard it is for me to find people who are like that.” Shelby takes a step to the side, watching Kaylee as she stands still. “What is it that you were told to do?”

Kaylee swallows. “Kill you.”

“And yet you did not take the open opportunity.”

“I have never killed someone before.” Kaylee meets Shelby’s gaze. “I am not sure I_ could _ kill you.”

“Why?”

Kaylee stares at her, thoughts and emotions and a dull pain all swirling in her head.

There’s only one way her brain can think of to get some silence.

She grabs the collar of Shelby’s doublet and kisses her, and everything in her mind goes mercifully quiet.

To her surprise, Shelby sets her hands gently on Kaylee’s hips, holding her close and letting the kiss get deeper.

Kaylee is ultimately the one who breaks the moment, pushing Shelby away and stumbling a few steps back. “I am sorry,” she rasps. “I am sorry. I should not have done that. I just…” She waves a hand, struggling to find the words. “I cannot think properly around you. I do not understand it. From the first moment I saw you, it has been baffling.”

“I know what you are referring to. My heart has been pulling towards you ever since I first saw you. I thought it was some sort of enchantment at first, but that is not possible.” Shelby reaches out, setting her palm against Kaylee’s cheek. “What happened to you?” she whispers.

“Why do you assume I did not seek out the witch for myself? Seek out power or money or glory, and this is the punishment?”

“Because that is not how black magic works,” Shelby says. “It hunts down people in their most vulnerable moments. Taunts them. Manipulates them. Puts them into positions where there is no way out but to make a bargain. The deal is a choice, yes. But it is never your fault.”

Kaylee lets out a soft sob. “I fell in love once. Or at least, I thought I did. He was mortally wounded, and I begged the universe to spare him. Unfortunately for me, the universe is not what answered.”

Shelby gives a small frown. “Where is he now? Did the witch take your soul but not save him?”

“She saved him. He just did not love me the way I loved him.”

A pain flashes into Shelby’s eyes. “That is not something anyone would deserve.”

“Not even me?” Kaylee asks dryly, giving her a dull grin.

“No one who would do this to themselves just for the sake of someone they love could ever deserve it.”

After a long pause, Kaylee says, “My name is not Amanda.”

“Huh?”

“My name is not Amanda. My name is Kaylee.”

Shelby lets her hand slide down to Kaylee’s shoulder. “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

Kaylee shakes her head. “Do not do that. Do not be kind to me. I do not deserve kindness.”

“You do, though. Do you not see it?”

“I-” There’s a sharp pain that wracks through her body, and Kaylee takes a step back. “I should not have spoken to you. It was a mistake.”

“Kaylee,” Shelby murmurs, and the name sounds so soft and gentle coming from her lips that it makes her want to cry. “Please. You can trust me. We can fight this. I can fight anything.”

She shakes her head again. “I am not sure you can, Shelby.”

Ignoring Shelby’s voice behind her, Kaylee turns and flees, running back towards the forest.

* * *

Kaylee runs, unsure of her direction, until she gets to a small clearing and her feet stop dead without her intent. She nearly falls, catching her balance at the last moment, but her rapid breath refuses to steady.

An inky darkness spreads up from her fingertips, and she drops to the ground, coughing black blood into the dirt. “Please,” she whispers, pulling at her tunic to try to get more air. “Please. I will do what you ask. I will deliver her to you. I merely need more time.”

The witch appears in a thick smoke, a thick brown cloak with raised hood, a tree emblem on a long green dress, bony fingers reaching out from billowy sleeves. She looks the same as the day Kaylee first met her, but the aura of a helpful old lady has vanished completely.

She reaches out, hooking her fingers under Kaylee’s chin and lifting to force her to look into the empty darkness of her hood. Kaylee’s hands drop, useless, to her sides. “You only have three days left until the full moon. Do you truly believe the doubt in your heart will change that quickly?”

“I will. I will deliver the champion to you. I will ensure her death. I swear it on my own life,” Kaylee chokes out, shaking as the pain in her head increases.

“I already have your soul, child. Your life is meaningless to me.” The witch pulls Kaylee’s chin even higher, making her whimper as the darkness spreads further up her skin. “Do you know why you are so drawn to her? Why your heart aches for her despite knowing her barely a day, why she trusts you even though she knows you are sworn to kill her?”

Kaylee silently shakes her head, unsure if she’s meant to answer.

“Your souls are bonded, child. Mated for eternity, just like the souls of those fools who have been guiding you.” The witch pulls Kaylee’s head painfully higher, making it even harder for her to breathe. “There are only two options for you. Fulfill your mission. Do as you are told, and I will release you from my service within the next hundred years. Do not take that promise lightly. I have already had your guides for a century, and I do not plan on releasing them any time within the next.”

Kaylee’s whole body shudders as the shadows creep higher and more pain shivers through her.

“The second option? I am a witch of black magic, child. I can rip your soul to pieces and make it so devastating that it tears hers to shreds as well.”

“I will do what I am told,” Kaylee chokes out. “Please. Please.”

“You doomed yourself for love once,” the witch says softly. She lets Kaylee go, and she collapses forward onto the ground, coughing and gasping and whimpering. “Do not be foolish enough to make the same mistake twice.”

The witch turns and vanishes back into smoke.

* * *

Kaylee stands on the edge of the tournament grounds, watching the duels in the distance.

She barely reacts with the blonde appears next to her.

“Shelby keeps losing,” Kaylee says softly. “It is not like her to be this distracted.”

“You are distracted, too.” The blonde glances at her out of the corner of her eye. “I did warn you not to fall in love,” she says, not unsympathetically.

“You say that as if it is so simple. Do you truly remember nothing of what it was like to be human?”

“Bits and pieces.” The blonde’s gaze goes distant. “Sometimes I remember the sound of this one laugh and I think I can feel warmth again.” She pauses, then whispers, _ “Alyssa.” _

“What?”

The blonde blinks, a strange blankness passing over her face. She looks at Kaylee. “Hm?”

“Who is Alyssa?”

“...Alyssa?” The blonde frowns. “What are you talking about?”

“You just said…” Kaylee trails off, seeing the emptiness in the blonde’s eyes. “You know what? Never mind. I misheard something.”

“Oh. Okay.” The blonde looks up at the sky. “It is almost dusk. The tournament will be ending soon. It is the full moon tonight, Kaylee Klein. You do not have much time left.”

“I know.”

“I wish you luck. I know this will not be easy.” The blonde starts to walk away, but Kaylee stops her.

“Hey. Could you do me a favor?”

The blonde frowns and gives a small nod. “I can try.”

“Whatever you do, do not let the witch take your friend from you. The brunette. You deserve to have each other, even if it is not in a full way.”

The blonde’s eyes soften, and Kaylee sees a small bit of light break through the dull blankness. “I will do my best, Kaylee Klein.”

“So will I,” Kaylee whispers.

* * *

Shelby’s eyes widen as Kaylee steps into her tent.

“Kaylee. I-I have been worried about you. When you did not return, I thought perhaps-”

Kaylee pulls her forward by her collar and kisses her, hard and fast. Shelby tries to deepen it, but Kaylee stops her, holding her at arm’s length. “We must leave. Now.”

“Why? What is-”

“The witch wanted me to kill you by the full moon.”

Shelby raises an eyebrow and glances at the top of the tent, where the bright light of the full moon is glowing. “Ah.”

“All I ever wanted was love,” Kaylee says quietly. “It would seem I am destined only to find it in one I am doomed to lose.”

“Can you not come with me?” Shelby asks, securing her armor and checking her sword.

“No. She can find me wherever I go, Shelby. There is no escape for me.” Kaylee grabs Shelby’s hand and pulls her out of the tent, only pausing long enough for Shelby to grab her satchel. “I was doomed the moment I sold my soul.”

“I do not accept that. There must be a way to-”

“There is not a way, Shelby!” Kaylee stops in the middle of the empty tournament grounds, rounding on her, desperation in her voice. “There is not time to even _ find _ a way! I cannot stand here and watch you die. I beg you. Please run. Perhaps if we do this quickly, she will not use me to harm you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kaylee shakes her head, looking around for somewhere to go, but Shelby grabs her shoulders.

“Hey. Please, can you just calm down and talk to me for a minute?”

“Our souls,” Kaylee whispers. “She says they are connected. That she can hurt you by hurting me. It is why we want each other despite barely meeting.”

“I could have told you that she can hurt me by hurting you. I just would not have blamed it on magic.”

“Shelby. Please. My only hope is for you to run and to pray that the witch is too angry to think sensibly.”

“Stop. That is never the only hope. We can fix this, Kaylee. I will not let her keep you for eternity.”

“Well,” Kaylee says with a weak laugh. “If the plan goes properly, I will be too dead for her to keep me.”

Shelby echoes her laugh and shakes her head. “You are a tough woman to figure out. You know that?”

“I am doing my best to keep myself calm so that I do not panic. It is, for the most part, actually working. I am impressed with myself for it.”

“I am impressed, too.” Shelby kisses her softly on the forehead. “Are you sure you will not let me to stay?”

“Please, Shelby. You have to flee before-”

Her words choke off in her throat. She coughs, trying to get words out, but she knows full well it’s in vain.

The air slips from her lungs, a painful squeeze of her chest, and she sinks to her knees, clutching at her tunic. Shelby draws her sword as she crouches down and sets her free hand on Kaylee’s shoulder, looking around for any sign of trouble.

“Kaylee,” she murmurs. “What is happening? What is wrong?”

She shakes her head, her gloved hands gripping into the dirt.

She’s going to die for her attempt at betrayal. She knows it.

Given what the witch will do to Shelby as punishment before she allows Kaylee to take her last breath, all she wishes is that she had managed to convince her to leave before they were both doomed.

A thick mist surrounds them, and the blonde and the brunette both step out in front of them.

Shelby stands, raising her sword. “Are you the ones doing this?” she demands.

The blonde looks at the brunette, staying silent.

“No. We are not the ones.” The brunette closes her eyes briefly, taking a few steps closer to the blonde as if subconsciously seeking comfort. “We are merely here to bear witness.”

“Bear…”

The witch steps out of the mist, and Kaylee struggles to try to stand, failing as the pain in her chest squeezes harder.

“Hello, Shelby Gonzales,” the witch says softly. “You should have run. At least then this fool would not have needed to watch you die.”

“You cannot kill me,” Shelby replies through gritted teeth, her grip on her sword tightening.

“No. But I _ can _ kill _ her.” _

Shelby looks down at Kaylee, who can see fear in her eyes.

The witch smiles. “Put the sword down, Gonzales. Embrace your fate.”

“No,” Kaylee rasps, forcing the words out. “Shelby, please, no.”

“I am sorry, Kaylee. I am a knight, and even if I do not fully understand this strange connection between us, I care for you. I will not stand here and allow you to die.” Shelby drives her sword into the dirt in front of her, but keeps her grip on the handle. “Swear. Swear that no harm will come to Kaylee.”

The witch nods, still smiling. “I swear. You take your hand off that sword, and the girl will be free. No harm, no injury, no death.”

Shelby pauses for a moment longer, then lets go of her sword.

The witch gives a soft laugh, and a circle of shadows appears in the dirt around Shelby’s feet. “You stupid child. She is not worth a death like this.”

Kaylee watches in horror as the shadows start to slowly seep through the ground towards Shelby.

“Hey,” Shelby says quietly. “It is okay, Kaylee. It will be okay.”

She looks at the ring in the ground, then at the witch, then at the blonde, who gives her a small nod. “No,” Kaylee murmurs.

She forces herself up and forward in one quick motion, hitting Shelby at waist height and shoving her out of the circle just as the shadows close in and envelop her.

* * *

Kaylee opens her eyes, but she could have kept them closed and seen the same thing: endless darkness.

_ ‘You foolish girl,’ _ the witch’s voice whispers, everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. _ ‘You could have been free. This could have been over, but now you are here. Is it worth it?’ _

“Do you think I care if you kill me?” Kaylee gives a sarcastic laugh. “How could I? I saw what you did to the two who have been guiding me for you. What you have done to them is a fate _ worse _ than death. If that is what a hundred years of service for you is like, I would prefer it if you killed me. So go ahead. End it all. It is better than working for you.”

_ ‘Oh, child. You _ are _ dead. But the thing is, I own your soul. You cannot truly die until I say so.’ _

Kaylee feels an ice cold shiver of pain run through her.

_ ‘So instead of dying, you are here. And you will die over and over and over until I decide you have learned well enough to serve me properly. Or until I decide to end the suffering and allow you to die for real.’ _

“And Shelby? What of her?”

_ ‘She will be dead soon enough. After all. The longer I keep you in this limbo, the longer I will have you as bait.’ _ The witch’s laugh is quiet and even colder than Kaylee feels. _ ‘So I will ask again, Kaylee Klein. Was it worth it?’ _


	3. Part Three

Shelby runs, her sword tight in her grip.

She can still hear the witch’s laugh as clearly as if it was still in her presence.

As clearly has she could hear the scream of pain right before Kaylee disappeared into darkness.

She stops, catching her breath, trying to get her brain to calm down enough to think. She looks down at her hand, on the white-knuckle grip on her sword, and she tries to relax, even just a little.

Everything in her tenses again when a mist surrounds her, and the two servants of the witch step into view.

“I can kill you,” Shelby says, hating herself for how her voice wavers. “This sword is made for witches, but I bet it would kill anything magical.”

The blonde steps in front of the brunette, her blank gaze hardening, but the brunette sets a hand on her arm. “It is okay. We are merely here to speak to you.”

“As you can imagine, I am not particularly in the mood to talk.”

“I know. It is why we are here.” The brunette steps forward to be next to the blonde. “It is not too late for you. It is not too late for Kaylee. She still lives. For whatever a life it is.”

“Why should I believe anything you say?”

“Because you-”

“No,” Shelby interrupts. “I want to hear it from her.” She points towards the blonde with her sword.

The blonde pauses, blinking, then opens her mouth, but no words come out.

“She cannot speak while I am here,” the brunette whispers. “The witch took it from us. Took…” She shakes her head and looks down at the ground.

Shelby feels her shoulders slump as she watches the blonde shuffle a bit closer to the brunette, looking lost as to what to do but desperate to give whatever silent comfort she can.

“I know,” the brunette whispers. “I know.”

“How long? How long have you been like this?”

The brunette closes her eyes and takes in a breath before looking at Shelby. “Too long. Too long for me to remember. It has been fifty years of this silence.” She lightly touches the blonde’s jaw. “She feared that if we spoke, we would find a way to escape. To get out of her grip. She has been…” She swallows and strokes her fingers lightly down the blonde’s skin, and Shelby sees a faint light form in the blonde’s eyes, as if she’s waking from a haze.

The blonde mouths something, a word that stays unspoken.

“We tried anyway,” the brunette says. “Wrote messages. Did everything we could. Until the witch found out, and… Now the woman I love cannot even remember who I am, even in the brief moments when she finds out.”

The brunette lowers her hand, and a shiver runs through the blonde’s body. A foggy emptiness returns to her eyes, and she takes a small step back, looking confused.

“Why tell me this? She would never let you.”

“She is distracted by your soulmate. She is not paying attention to me and mine.” The brunette gives a small, sad smile. “And if she finds out and kills us, it… At this point, knight, it would be a relief.”

Shelby feels herself pale. “Soulmate?”

“Yes. Soulmate. You can save her, knight, but the witch will be expecting you.”

Shelby sets her jaw, watching as the blonde continues to look around blankly. “That is fine. She can expect me all she wants. I will kill her all the same.”

“How?”

Shelby looks down at her sword, a thought occurring to her. “Magic.”

* * *

Shelby follows her instincts, follows the power in her sword, follows the pull in her heart that she’s felt since she first laid eyes on Kaylee Klein.

She finds the witch’s cabin easily. Perhaps  _ too _ easily.

Without waiting for second-guessing, Shelby walks up to the door, draws her sword, and kicks it open.

She almost drops her sword when she sees Kaylee’s body lying on the stone floor, limp and lifeless, surrounded by a circle of smoke.

The witch steps out of the smoke and smiles. “I thought you would return. I am sorry to say, however, that Kaylee Klein belongs to me. You cannot have her back.”

“What are you doing her?” Shelby asks, remarkably calm.

“Well, she threw herself into the circle in your place, but she cannot die unless I say so.” The witch shrugs. “So she is dying, then reviving, then dying, then reviving, etcetera. From what I understand, it is quite a painful process.”

Shelby’s jaw tenses. “You really are a monster. My father always told me stories about witches, about the ones my ancestors fought. I was never really sure if I believed him. Surely beings that evil could not truly exist? But here you are.”

“Here I am.” The witch forms a circle of shadow around Shelby. “And I would not worry about the ghost stories of your family, Shelby Gonzales. They end with you.”

“Maybe they do. But it will not be because of you.” Shelby pauses, takes in a breath, and steps straight through the circle.

The witch’s eyes widen, and she takes a step back. “That is not possible. Even with your sword, you should not be able to-”

“Your magic will not work on me, sword or no sword, witch,” Shelby murmurs. “You broke a pact.”

“What?”

“You swore to me that Kaylee would be free. That she would be unharmed. I held up my end of the bargain. You did not.”

“That… That was hardly my fault!” the witch protests. “The girl-”

“Was harmed by you.” Shelby advances on the witch, who continues to back away, but instead of attacking her, Shelby walks through the barrier around Kaylee and pulls her out of it. She crouches down and sets her palm against Kaylee’s cheek.

Kaylee is pale, cold, but Shelby can feel in her heart that she’s still there.

The blonde appears behind the witch.

“If you kill me,” the witch growls, “you will never free her! She will be trapped for eternity as a soulless shell, dying over and over!”

Shelby glances at the blonde, who gives a small, cold smirk and slowly shakes her head.

“I do not think I believe you, witch,” Shelby whispers. “I think you are stalling.”

“How dare you-”

Shelby takes a few quick steps forward and swings her sword at the witch, who catches the blade painfully in her hand.

“No,” the witch growls. “You-”

She stops with a choked noise and looks down at the dagger buried in her chest.

“Thanks for grabbing the anti-magic,” Shelby says with a grin as she pulls the dagger out. “It helped a lot.”

The witch snarls and reaches for her, but before she can touch Shelby she crumbles, crumpling into dust on the floor.

Shelby sheathes her sword and dagger and runs back over to Kaylee, kneeling down next to her. “Come on,” she says quietly. “Come on, Kaylee.”

For a long moment, she second-guesses herself.

Then Kaylee takes in a sharp, gasping breath and opens her eyes.

Kaylee tries to scramble to her feet, panicked, but Shelby holds onto her. “Kaylee. Kaylee, it is okay. It is me. It is not the witch.”

“What…” Kaylee focuses up at Shelby, and her eyes fill with tears. “No. Please. Not you. Please tell me she did not kill you.”

“I am alive, Kaylee. We both are.  _ I _ killed  _ her.” _

“You… You did?” Kaylee sets a hand over her chest and steadies her breathing. “I-I… I feel… My head feels so clear…” She chokes out a sob. “The weight on my soul. It is gone.”

“You are free. You are free, Kaylee.” Shelby gives a relieved laugh and looks up.

“What is wrong?” Kaylee asks at the frown that forms on Shelby’s face.

“The blonde. That servant of the witch. She was here, but now she is gone.”

Kaylee swallows. “You… You do not think…”

“I do not know.” Shelby helps Kaylee to her feet. “Come on. Let us get out of here.”

* * *

They step outside, and the world feels brighter. Softer.

It is amazing to Shelby how much lighter the forest can seem when it is no longer being haunted.

They start to head for the path, but a faint, faint mist forms, making them stop. It vanishes once the blonde and brunette appear, motionless, standing in front of Shelby and Kaylee.

“Are you-” Kaylee starts, but Shelby touches her arm to silence her.

Previously, the brunette had been wearing a tree emblem medallion, and the blonde had the same emblem imprinted on her leather armor.

Now, the medallion is gone completely, and the armor is plain.

All four of them just stand there in silence, until the blonde turns to the brunette and, in a raspy voice, whispers, “Alyssa?”

The brunette’s eyes widen and immediately tear up. “Emma?”

The blonde lets out a sob and rushes forward, grabbing the brunette in a crushing hug so tight that she picks her up and spins her once. She holds the brunette -  _ Alyssa _ \- close and strokes her hand over her hair, both of them crying.

“It is okay,” the blonde -  _ Emma _ \- murmurs. “It is alright.”

“I lost you,” Alyssa sobs. “I kept losing you.”

“I know. I am sorry.” They pull back just enough to rest their foreheads together, then Emma turns her head to look at Kaylee. “Thank you,” she says softly. “Both of you.” She swallows and hugs Alyssa again, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Thank you for giving me my wife back.”

“Your wife?” Kaylee’s voice is gentle, almost heartbroken, as if she knows more about these particular (former) servants of the witch than Shelby does.

Alyssa nods and sniffs, easing out of the hug but still gripping Emma’s hand tightly. “I got sick. An illness the doctors felt was incurable. I was going to die.”

“I could not accept that,” Emma says. “A stranger, who I later discovered was another servant of the witch, told me of a mysterious woman in the woods who had natural remedies who could save Alyssa. I should have known better, but… she is my wife. What was I supposed to do? I went to her, and she offered a cure in exchange for my soul, and… I said yes.”

“When I got better but Emma did not return, I knew something was wrong. I went out searching for her, and I found the witch. She was not planning on using Emma as a servant. She was going to kill her and use her soul to power her magic. I begged her not to, and she said that she would make her a servant… if I swore myself to her as well.” Alyssa swallows, her voice wavering, and Emma’s grip on her hand tightens. “I could not let my wife suffer and die because of me.”

“It was not your fault, my love,” Emma whispers. “It was my choice to make.”

“My choice was mine, too.” Alyssa rests her head against Emma’s shoulder. “We paid for them both. We would have paid for them for eternity.”

“You are free now?” Shelby asks. “So the witch truly is dead?”

“As far as I can tell.” Emma shrugs. “She would never have let me regain my memories of Alyssa if she were alive.”

“What will you do now?”

Emma looks at Alyssa and grins before her gaze goes to Kaylee. “Who knows? We are free to do as we please.”

Shelby takes a step forward and holds her hand out to Emma. “There is a tavern in town. I will be there tonight, and then I am going to start traveling to other tournaments. I want to see more of the world, and now is as good a time to do it as any. If you want some freedom, a change of pace, you are welcome to join me.”

Emma shakes her hand. “Thank you, Shelby Gonzales. We will consider it. For now, I think I want to go spend some time with my wife.”

“Understandable. I will not be leaving for another few days if you do decide.”

Emma nods, then puts her arm around Alyssa’s waist and picks her up, making Alyssa laugh as Emma spins her once before setting her back on the ground and leading her down the path towards town, hand in hand.

“You are leaving?” Kaylee murmurs.

“I am.” Shelby turns to her. “Come with me.”

Kaylee’s eyes widen. “You would want me to?”

“Of course I do. You deserve some freedom too, Kaylee.” Shelby brushes some of Kaylee’s hair behind her ear. “And my soul would be rather upset with me if I let you go.” She leans forward, resting her forehead against Kaylee’s. “I know the last time you made a sacrifice for someone you cared about, they abandoned you. I am not going to do that, Kaylee. I love you.”

Kaylee pulls her down and kisses her lightly. “I love you, too.”

Shelby takes a step back and holds out her hand. “Shall we, then?”

Kaylee grins and sets her hand in Shelby’s. “Take me on an adventure, Shelby Gonzales.”

Shelby laughs and tugs on her hand, leading her on the path away from the cabin of the witch.


End file.
